Winter Night
by AHeartForStories
Summary: A Toothcup fic complete with mpreg and with implied Trans!/Intersex!Hiccup. It's a cold Winter night, but Toothcup barely notices the cold.
1. Winter Night

_I have no other excuses for this one-shot other than the fact that I am Toothcup/Pregcup trash. So there you have it. Enjoy!_

_Constructive criticism is highly appreciated._

* * *

**Winter Night**

It was freezing cold this Winter night. Or it was outside in the Northern Barbaric Archipelago.

Inside a large cave, on an island inhabited only by dragons, burned a calm fire in a pit dug into the ground. It brought light and it brought warmth.

Some time ago, with wood from the surrounding forest and rope and tools from nearby Viking villages, it had been made into a comfortable dwelling for a human and his dragon. Though appearing more like a traditional home than the lonely cave it once was, their main living space acted like their bedroom as well.

A nest had been created off to one side, not too close and also not too far away from the fire pit in the center. It was a large stone slab with more than plenty soft furs made by hand or simply bought to lie down on and curl up in.

Toothless, the Night Fury's human given name, was a dragon who's jetblack body felt like a furnace compared to the chill often lingering outside. When he wasn't there to keep his Rider warm, Hiccup at least had the furs to roll himself up in.

But there was no need to hunt as there was enough food stored for at least the next few weeks. Missions they didn't worry about either. They had been put on hold for a while already. Simply put, there was little reason to leave their abode at all.

On nights as cold as these, they stayed inside and simply enjoyed each other's company.

Toothless stirred in his slumber, lying only somewhat curled on the furs with his head resting on his forelegs. Hiccup rested against his side, staring at the slowly dying fire and wearing only a loose tunic and pants crafted specifically for their current situation. His prosthetic had been removed earlier that evening and remained closeby on the ground.

"Hey, Bud." Hiccup smiled at the dragon as he moved ever so slightly, letting his Rider know that he was awake.

Toothless moved his head up to look back at him and crooned a greeting before nuzzling his cheek. A sign of affection Hiccup wasn't at all opposed to. He leaned into it, eyes closing momentarily.

What the Night Fury decided to pay attention to next was the very reason why the two had not been on any missions as of late.

The two of them, they were expecting.

Hiccup, for as scrawny as he was, still sported a round belly where his taut abdomen once was some months ago. Seemed like even he could gain at least some weight, his figure was fuller than the mere skin and bones it used to be.

Though at twenty-three, that short stick of a boy was already a tall tree of a young man instead.

It surprised both of them back when they first realized what the strange new growth on Hiccup's lower belly was. Though they each possessed the right tools for the job, they never would've imagined any of their couplings to end in a pregnancy as they were different species.

Though Fishlegs had once said years ago that humans and dragons are more similar than one would think, a blessing like this always seemed out of their reach. Until they were proven wrong.

Toothless purred as he gently nudged his Rider's belly, earning himself a short chuckle.

"They're asleep." Hiccup told, sighing deeply and resting one hand in his lap underneath his swollen bump while the other went to stroke the top of the dragon's head.

An interspecies pregnancy like this brought with it a lot of questions that no one could answer but time itself.

While humans had live births, Night Furies, all dragons in fact, were hatched from an egg.

Hiccup was fairly certain that the offspring he carried was more draconic than human, "too many limbs" he claimed, but it wasn't an egg, or eggs, that he felt in his womb. What he bore, was alive and moving.

Except that night. After a busy day of moving, growing and keeping one half of their parents on his toes, the unborn babe was asleep.

There were still short flutters here and there, but nothing like the barrel rolls Hiccup felt a short few hours ago.

Toothless moved again, pressing his earfin against his Rider's belly in the hopes of catching even the tiniest sound of their child.

Hiccup let him, leaning back on his hands and watching curiously. He wouldn't be surprised if he heard anything. Night Furies were famous for many things, but often their incredible hearing ability ended up forgotten.

At the moment, Toothless failed at picking up any sound at all, the little dragon inside must be in too deep of a sleep, but he could hear his mate's heartbeat. At the very least, it made for a comforting substitute.

"They're asleep, Bud. And speaking of which, we should get some shut-eye too." Hiccup drew away from him, heaving himself closer to the edge of the stone slab they were resting on to grab his metal leg. The fire was slowly dying and in this Winter cold it was wiser to keep it going.

There was a small stack of firewood in a corner, brought inside from the larger pile lying outside in a thick layer of snow. Hiccup wanted to take some to add to the pit, but Toothless beat him to it, getting up and making his way over there so his tired and very pregnant mate didn't need to.

Hiccup sighed in relief and dropped back down on the furs, grateful that Toothless already did it for him.

The fire did burn to keep him warm, after all. Dragons weren't at as high a risk as humans were for hypothermia and frostbite.

Hiccup decided to lie down, rolling onto his side and bundling up some of the many thick furs to rest his head on.

It was in the middle of the night and he was exhausted, but sleep escaped him.

He didn't know why he was having such trouble, just that he did and it's been happening for the past week now. The wind howling outside as the snowfall threatened to turn into a blizzard certainly didn't help in the least bit.

This restlessness, though they knew nothing about their particular situation, Hiccup wondered if it was a sign that something was coming soon.

Something good, despite what this inability to be at peace seemed to imply.

Hiccup could feel the heat of the fire grow and it washed over him. That was when Toothless joined him again. With his much large body did he curl up around him as he settled down, tail off the slab and huffing into his Rider's auburn hair. It was often redder in the Summer. Similar to how Hiccup's freckles were also more prominent when expose to more sun.

But his hair, it wasn't as messy as it once was. Their amount of flights together were brought down to almost zero with Hiccup the way he was now.

Hiccup was a reckless person, for sure, but he knew to be careful when someone other than the two of them were involved. And this little life was the most fragile passenger they had ever carried before. Toothless relied on the automatic tailfin for the time being.

Toothless gazed down on Hiccup and noticed that sleep was finally catching up to him, after hours of sitting and lying awake.

His eyes were closed and his breathing steadily grew slower, an arm rested on his bump. Toothless didn't dare to wake him up, but he figured he could afford one lazy lick on his human's temple and that's what he gave him. A sleepy hum was the only response he got, which was fine by him.

Toothless lied his head down and closed his eyes as well. He, too, felt like it was almost time. This pregnancy was taking longer than a normal draconic gestation would, but that was probably to be expected when one of the two was a human. Their babe promised to be a live birth. Eggs didn't need as much time as live young did and that also played a part in how long this took.

But it wouldn't take much longer now and they were as ready as they could possibly be.

Food wasn't a problem. Their storage was full. And though this was their very first, there were other hatchlings raised by their hand before, orphaned eggs or lost fledgelings whose parents had been cruelly taken from them by Hunters and Trappers. This was also an island inhabited mostly by dragons who knew them personally and no humans besides one former Berkian.

They were all a part of the same pack with Hiccup and Toothless at the very top. Should there ever be a need to protect the new family, they were more than willing to step up and return the favour.

Most of these dragons were rescues with no other place to call home.

Many times the Night Fury was their protector and the human was the one who nursed them back to health, even using his clever hands to create replacement teeth, fins, horns, whatever. The latter was also adamant in someday figuring out how to return a dragon's ability to fly even when a wing was irreparably damaged or lost. A downed dragon, doomed to never again be in the sky, saddened him too much.

The dragons of this island owed a lot to these two.

So they were as ready as they could ever be, with plenty of food, some experience and an island full of personal guardians. Toothless could hardly wait and he knew this was a sentiment Hiccup also shared

He briefly opened his eyes again and noticed that Hiccup was in a deep sleep. Toothless could return to his own slumber with an eased heart.

Well, he napped.

While Hiccup could not fall asleep without tossing and turning for a few hours first, his own nights were short and light and far in between. There was an instinct inside of him telling him to stay alert.

But both of his loves were safe, healthy and fast asleep. This Night Fury could afford to doze off as well.

It was a cold Winter night out there, but in their nest, they were warm and they were together. And that was all they needed to get through this year's Devastating Winter.


	2. Winter Day

_Somebody on AO3 requested that I write about the due date, so here it is!_

_Might be a little graphic, I honestly don't know._

_Constructive criticism is highly appreciated._

* * *

**Winter Day**

About another month after that night, the almost constant snowfall had finally turned into a full-on blizzard. One of the many this particular season, Devastating Winter, was known for.

It was bitterly cold out, much colder than it had been earlier this year. Just a few minutes outside was enough for even the most Northern dragons to feel chilled to the bone.

On Berk, every Viking and dragon would stay in their respective homes and nests, not daring to face the piercing winds and biting air. This island's inhabitants also retreated for the time being. This harsh weather was a nightmare on their wings, the joints would grow stiff and the membrane was simply too thin to keep warm.

And although Hiccup and Toothless planned on staying inside as well, it had been part of the preparations made weeks prior to the first blizzard, the latter wasn't here.

In the early morning, the fire once again slowly dying and gradually failing at keeping their much-needed warmth inside, the two woke up to the sound of a dragon in distress.

Listening to the cries of despair, the two had been at a loss on what to do. It was probably some poor soul who hadn't thought to prepare and now suffered the consequences. As Dragon Riders, they wanted to go out and help whoever was in trouble, but going out in this blizzard was a terrible idea.

But Toothless had gone with the silent promise that he'd be back soon.

That was at least an hour ago.

And not only was Hiccup worrying himself to death, but his contractions had started some time ago.

After six months, his due date was finally here.

"Come on, Tooth..." They weren't too bad so far, but that didn't mean Hiccup was any less concerned his partner wasn't going to be there for the birth of their own offspring.

He sat on the bear furs, staring at the entrance of their home while poking the slowly reviving fire with a fire poker.

The draconic cries stopped a little while ago and still Toothless had yet to return. If he didn't have their kid to think about, he would've gone out there himself and frozen to death trying to search for this Night Fury.

Hiccup hissed, shrinking in on himself when another terrible cramp tore through him. He hoped they wouldn't grow too bad.

A naive thing to hope, he knew, but he still couldn't help it.

He hated this. He felt so useless now, unable to go out there and make sure his dragon was okay, and there was no feeling he despised more than this.

When was Toothless finally coming back? That stubborn dragon should've been here by now. If they could hear that dragon even through the loud winds of the blizzard, that meant it had to have been closeby, right?

After letting another contraction pass, breathing through his nose as best as he could, Hiccup gazed back at their entrance again.

It was a wide wooden door. In the warm months of Summer, what the people living in the Archipelago considered as warm, their entrance would only be covered by another fur, the door was only there to keep the cold of Winter out and the heat of the flames in.

Hiccup stared at it and wondered if, perhaps, there was something he could do to help. Even despite his situation.

If his theory was correct and this dragon really had been nearby at the time it decided to cry out for help, maybe there was a chance Toothless was still in the area as well and just couldn't find his way back home.

In that case, although he couldn't leave the safety of their den, there was at least one small thing that Hiccup figured he could do.

He still had some Deathsong amber lying around somewhere and some metal scraps leftover from previous projects. His forge may be out there in the blinding blizzard, but there was a fire right here, many of his tools were pretty much everywhere except for where they were supposed to be when not in use and it wasn't like he would be able to do much as he waited for either this baby or Toothless to come. So he might as well make use of his blacksmithing skills in the meantime.

It would take some ingenuity and improvisation, both of which he wasn't particularly unfamiliar with, but he could use these scraps to put together something akin to a very shoddy lantern.

Well... it was more of a glass shell he could put over a torch, leaving one hole for air to get in while the husk itself protected the flame from the wind. Not his finest work, but it would get the job done. Hopefully.

Hiccup grabbed amber, fished some scrap metal from a box collecting dust in a corner, sat down with some difficulty near the fire pit and got to work. Though most of his equipment required remained in the forge, the pit would have to do.

He groaned and hunched forwards sometime later as another contraction passed through him. This makeshift lantern took quite a while to create, even with his deft and experienced fingers, but he was putting the finishing touches to it. He had suffered through many more cramps in the meantime, slowing him down significantly, but at long last it was done.

After lighting up a makeshift torch made with a tree branche from their pile of fire wood and some old cloth soaked in Monstrous Nightmare saliva, Hiccup took it and his newly created shell and made way for the front door.

He was briefly forced to stop on the way when another contraction hit him. Grimacing and balancing himself. They were getting longer and there was less and less time between each.

Once this one passed and he eventually reached the door, he opened it and nearly got thrown backwards by the strength of the wind that came bursting in.

"Oh, fff-my Thor." With his hair and tunic billowing did Hiccup hold onto the door, allowing his frantic heart to gradually slow down. The items he was holding were scattered on the floor before his feet.

He's managed to stay safe for nearly his entire pregnancy. It would've been tragic to fall now and hurt either himself or the unborn he spend the last six months growing, nurturing and protecting.

Once calmed down, Hiccup stared out into the wilderness, into the blizzard, and found that it was impossible to see. There was only a dark grey void.

The thick snow that fell, the rapid winds, he could barely see even a few feet in front of him. And it appeared to be dark out when it was supposed to be in the middle of the day.

When was the last time he had seen the sun?

No matter, using some rope and a very sturdy knot, Hiccup managed to secure the standing lantern to the outside wall of their home.

He checked it once or twice to make sure it wasn't going anywhere in this weather, his body growing cold and his fingers and remaining toes becoming number by the second, before he was even remotely satisfied. He was trembling by the end.

It wasn't much, Hiccup supposed as he stared out into the nothingness again, but at least it could act as some sort of beacon to help his Night Fury find his way back home.

A hand of his settled on his swollen belly. Another harsh contraction ran through his system, this time followed by almost panicked thrashing inside, but it served as a reminder of just why it was better for him to stay inside.

Hiccup closed the door and hoped his partner returned in time.

* * *

"Aah, oh Gods." Kneeling on the floor at the edge of the stone slab and holding onto fistfuls of fur, Hiccup grunted. He rocked back and forth.

In the past half an hour, his labour pains had grown so much worse. And if his leggings getting sopping wet out of nowhere was any indication, his water had broken just minutes earlier.

And still no Toothless to be found.

"Where are you, you useless reptile?" He groaned out loud once more. There was very little to no time between each cramp.

And there was this certain urge rising up inside of him.

He didn't quite understand it, but it felt like something was bearing down on him and it made him feel like he absolutely needed to start pushing soon. That was what it felt like.

It was time. That was the only conclusion he could possibly come to.

It was time and his dragon still wasn't here.

"Gods, Toothless. If you don't get your ass home right now..." Filled with worry and anxiety, Hiccup decided to remove his soaked leggings. It was annoying how it clung to his thighs too.

On Berk, he could've counted on Gothi's help. There would've been other women by his side, actual people who knew what they were doing and who have lived through it before. He could've been sure of it that Astrid would be there as support and as an extra useful pair of hands. Even the other Riders would've been waiting right outside the door for him.

But this place wasn't Berk and he wouldn't have been able to send a t-mail asking for help even if he wanted to. He has always known that this entire delivery was on him.

They were on their own here. And clearly, he wasn't as prepared as he once thought he was.

Knowing that Toothless would be there when there was nobody else he could count on had always been a source of comfort to him, but now he knew that he was completely alone in this after all.

It was going to be scary and he hadn't a clue as to what he could possibly do, but with his resolve set in stone, Hiccup was at least determined to do anything in his power to make this end well.

At the very least, the few births he has seen before were all dragon-related and he has even participated in one or two of them. Eggs or not, dragons could still experience complications during their labours too.

He didn't know just how helpful this limited amount of knowledge of his would be, but it was better than nothing at all.

And at the very least, Fishlegs managed to drop off some notes about human and draconic childbirth that he copied from Gothi's mementoes. So it wasn't like he was completely flying blind here.

Just... semi-blind...

But his leggings were gone and his undergarments were too. After another few short moments spend to compose himself mentally, Hiccup supposed he was as ready he would ever be.

He was on his own for the time being, but he wouldn't be for long. Whether Toothless finally returned or their offspring was at long last brought into this world, it wouldn't take much longer now.

His task at hand and the frantic babe inside, that is what he needed to focus on.

Leaning on his elbows and his knees, his legs spread apart just wide enough, all Hiccup could do was brace himself and wait for the next contraction to come.

When the cramp inevitably came, the urge to push was bound to follow. If he remembered correctly, he just needed to take a deep breath and go right along with it.

And that's what he did.

He breathed in deeply through his nose.

He cried out so loud.

He pushed for as long as he was able.

He bore the pain as best as he could.

It was an arduous cycle Hiccup needed to devote himself to and it wasn't as easy as he would've liked this to be. His strength waned faster than he could've predicted and the agony that tore through him only seemed to get worse. He knew this could hurt, but nobody told him it would be this bad. He wasn't even entirely sure that he made any progress at all.

But he stuck to it.

As the cycle ended one time, it started anew almost immediately after. There was barely any time to rest and his body felt like it was in the process of tearing itself apart.

But he still stuck to it.

Through the hurt and the strain and the fear. With every new labour pain, he snarled in an almost dragon-like manner as he pushed.

And pushed.

Until, with one last pained cry from him, he could feel his babe leave his womb at last.

He was waiting for it and caught the newborn as soon as it slipped free with both of his hands. It seemed to curl up in his hold and shivered from the cold, seemingly exhausted from the chore of being born.

Hiccup sat up straight, shaking and panting and sweating, and brought it up to his chest. Now that he held it in his arms, what greeted him was a tiny Night Fury just barely half the size of a Terrible Terror. A dragon. Exactly like he had been predicting for months.

A big head, which was probably the reason why pushing it out hurt him so, with a small body, limp and useless wings, a short tail and chubby little legs. It was the most adorable thing he ever did see and Hiccup felt himself be overwhelmed by emotion.

"Gods..." He never once doubted, during these entire six months, that this was a blessing, but now that the little youngling was finally in his arms, that only backed his many claims up.

There were tears in his eyes and he felt like sobbing too. This feeling in his chest was too much.

"Gods, that's so Viking-like of you." He chuckled and wiped his tears away on his sleeved shoulders. The effort was in vain as his cheeks were wet again in an instant.

The little Night Fury was sleeping, curled up and apparently not minding all the gunk that covered it. Hiccup wondered what gender it was. That, he could only figure out later after it was all nice and clean.

"Speaking of-"

Hiccup grunted as he cut himself off. Hunching over, he felt another contraction run through him.

"What the..." He knew that he wasn't done yet. That, since this dragon wasn't born with its own egg, something had to keep it fed and nurtured as he grew it. Gothi's notes had mentioned the "afterbirth" back when he read them, but something inside of him told him that wasn't what was causing him this pain this time around.

And if it wasn't that...

The Thorston twins were going to have a field day once the Riders got his next terror mail.

While creating the same mess on the soft furs as he had made on the floor beneath him, Hiccup placed the sleeping newborn on the furs in front of him and braced himself for a second time. It was still safely and warmely within the confines of his arms.

Anxiety welled up again, briefly chasing away the happiness and love he felt just moments earlier.

"Where are you, Bud." He groaned, his face contorted into a grimace.

He'd like for his dragon to come home now. Sure, he had delivered the first one, of what were apparently twins, safe and sound, but that didn't make him fear any less for the health and safety of this one.

These labour pains didn't take their sweet, sweet time to grow and drag and worsen. These ones ran him over like a stampeding Thunderclaw. The mere shock left him gasping for breath.

Hiccup released a prolonged groan, hoping that pushing this one out wouldn't take as long or be as painful as the first one. And though he wasn't much of a religious man, he found himself praying to the old Norse Gods for the safe and swift return of his significant other. He hated to be alone.

Once the urge to push passed and he allowed his tired body to rest, Hiccup planted his forehead in the bear furs before him, minding the sleeping babe. His eyes closed, he breathed in and out deeply.

He suddenly felt this freezing cold wash over him.

It was only there for a short moment, but Hiccup wondered if he should be worried.

Just then, a big, wet tongue licked the entire left side of his face, urging him to look up. He was met with an icy nose nudging his.

"Toothless, you're back." Hiccup chuckled breathlessly, welcoming the chilling touch to his flushed face.

Toothless gave him a worried croon, already had he realized what was going on the second he entered their den. Though the blizzard outside had numbed him, the scent of his labouring mate still met him like a bludgeon met a Jorgenson's skull in a competition.

Pushing again, it took Hiccup a while to notice that the Night Fury by his side was shivering.

Toothless, a dragon, was shivering.

That is how cold it was outside. Even the temperatures at his mother's sanctuary weren't as low as they were here during this season.

"Tooth, the fire." Hiccup wanted to tell him to go warm up and not mind him, but instead the Night Fury shot a plasma blast at it, one just strong enough to further feed the flames, and then settled on the stone floor around him.

There was only so much he could do, most of the work still fell on Hiccup's shoulders. One way he could help was by staying close to his side.

Hiccup gave him a tired, but comforted, smile and watched him give just the tiniest lick to their first infant, who shied away from the biting chill.

He wasn't alone anymore. Toothless had missed the birth of their eldest, but at least he was here now. And for that, Hiccup could only be grateful.

* * *

There were three of them.

Much to Hiccup's and Toothless' utter surprise, their set of twins turned into triplets instead.

This twist of the decade had tired the nest's maternal parent out greatly as he had worked and pushed to get them all out of his body and into his arms, but it was done now. The three had been delivered, the afterbirth was already taken care of and they were all healthy.

Hiccup made sure of that. Gothi and the Defenders of the Wing had taught him a thing or two about dragon health in the past and there was also his own knowledge and experience he could fall back on. He was still the only expert on Night Furies around.

Hiccup chuckled at the irony of it all. That the local Night Fury expert is also the one to mate with and give birth to Night Furies of his own. Taking the term "dragon enthusiast" to a whole new level, Hiccup tended to do that.

The triplets were almost an hour old now. After making sure they each had all their toes, their limbs, their fins and their wings, the new parents decided to bathe them.

Toothless could use his tongue, as dragons tended to do, but Hiccup resorted to using a tub filled with hot water.

Not too hot since any newly born dragon's scales needed at least a week to harden and become fireproof first, but still too high of a temperature for a human.

Hiccup hadn't noticed until both of his hands were already in the tub, one holding the Fury pup's head up for air. Strangely enough, the water didn't scald him at all.

He paused when he took note, the infant in his hold still sleeping peacefully even in this heat. All three of them were as black as the night.

Lifting one hand out of the water, Hiccup saw that his skin did turn a little pink, but the limb didn't feel like it was being burned. It just felt slightly above averagely warm.

He released a deep sigh before continuing on with his task at hand. After cleaning all three of the pups, they could check for their genders.

Hiccup wasn't even remotely surprised and he was too tired to question why he was suddenly resistant to hot temperatures. He, a human, had just given birth to a nest of dragons. And that was only at the very top of the list of odd things that have happened to him in life. He was almost ready to just blame it on the interspecies pregnancy that had only just come to an end.

His mother had also once upon a time claimed that her son possessed the "heart of a Chief and the soul of a dragon".

Well, maybe at least one of those were true.

"This is stupid." He shook his head when he felt his cheeks growing wet again when he thought about Valka. He liked to believe the fault lied with these storm of emotions swirling inside of him. They weren't making it easy for him to contain his feelings and it didn't help that he was exhausted.

Toothless seemed to notice. Taking a break from cleaning their youngest, he nudged his Rider's temple with his snout.

"Heh, I know, Bud." Hiccup smiled back at him gratefully and both resumed washing one of the three Furies.

Toothless finished quickly after and carefully, with his gums, picked up the little girl to put her next to her resting brother. Unlike Hiccup, he could smell which was which and they had two females and one male.

Sadly, this wasn't something he could easily communicate with his lifemate. Not when he was this fatigued.

He scooted closer to them himself. Now all warmed up, he could keep their children all nice and cozy.

And in the meantime, he watched Hiccup use the last of his remaining strength to clean the last of the triplets. And to say he was impressed would be an understatement.

Not only because the human was still going even when his physical limits must have surely been met well over an hour ago.

They both knew they had been flying blind these past six months and neither could predict what surprises this day could give them. But even so, he never would've expected Hiccup to be able to grow, carry and bring three, apparently full-blooded, new Night Furies into the world.

That was the max amount of offspring his species usually had. What little Toothless could remember from his own kind, that their nests more often than not consisted of three hatchlings, no more and no less, was one of those things.

And that while humans normally only had one babe per pregnancy. The Thorston twins were a rarety.

Even now, Hiccup continued to amaze him.

"And that's the last of them." He let out a tired sigh as he crawled up in their nest, pup cradling snugly to his chest, and placed the female Fury with her siblings. He shifted uncomfortably and realized that, while the afterbirth and the infants had been taken care of, it was now his turn. He stretched and rubbed his lower back.

"Gods..." How many times was he going to call for them?

The way his body felt was indescribable.

Sore, worn out, throbbing, stiff... he could keep on going. This had been some day and he longed to lie down.

Toothless saw his discomfort and nudged Hiccup's chest, which got him to pull away and hiss, sensitive as it was. He didn't even have a human baby to feed.

But Hiccup did get what he was trying to tell him.

"Thanks, Bud, but I'll can take care of myself. You need to keep them warm." He gave his dragon a reassuring smile and Toothless supposed there was little he could do to change his mind.

That was another big difference between humans and dragons. Dragons could take care of themselves no problem. If humans weren't careful, they could grow an infection and Toothless didn't want to see Hiccup suffer through that. Him getting sick would mean disaster.

The new father placed his head down on the furs, the triplets resting between his forelegs, and continued to watch Hiccup.

Some of their questions had been answered, but there was still so much they did not know.

Toothless was sure of one thing, though.

When Hiccup finally finished, he'd hold him and the three pups his partner spend the last six months growing as tight as he possibly could without hurting any of them. He'd keep them warm, safe and cozy. He'd show Hiccup exactly how grateful he was for expanding his family and how amazing that once fifteen year old boy still was after all of these long and hard years.

Hiccup eventually finished washing himself, much to his relief as his body was screaming at him for even the smallest wink of sleep. He crawled back on the slab and Toothless, who had already repositioned himself to have their younglings rest at his side, wasted no time in pulling him closer. Hiccup wasn't about to complain, he simply huffed in amusement and let him.

The dragon half of the two parents decided to stay awake for now. As Hiccup lied down close to their babies, Toothless curled up around them. It was time to sleep, this eventful day had come to an end and all was well.

"Tooth. I don't think I can sleep."

Turns out Toothless wasn't the only one who's new sense of duty was going to keep him awake.


	3. White Night

_And here we go! The third part focuses a little bit more on the other Riders and may even be hinting at exactly why Hiccup and Toothless no longer live on Berk._

_Enjoy!_

_Constructive criticism is highly appreciated._

* * *

**White Night**

Just like how Devastating Winter kept Hiccup, Toothless and all the other dragons on their island captive inside their nests, that season also did a number on Berk and her inhabitants.

In the former Haddock household sat Astrid Hofferson at a table, impatiently looking over some peace treaties that needed signing shortly after the weather turned and the endless blizzards and storms finally stopped.

Her chin resting on a balled-up fist of hers and her other hand, while holding a charcoal pencil, tapped in rhythm on the wooden surface before her.

It's been well over half an hour now and she was still staring at the same document. It was only the first of many.

She wasn't alone.

At the other end of the room stood Fishlegs, who stared out into the heavy snowfall through the front door. Apparently not noticing just how cold and numb his whole body felt by now, he refused to tear his gaze away. It allowed the piercing winds inside.

Somewhat at a distance from him, near the fire pit, sat Snotlout. He glared at the bigger man. While he tended to the fire and tried to keep all of them warm, Fishlegs was letting the chill in. He was testing his temper. Any second now and Snotlout was sure to snap.

Between them sat Ruffnut and Tuffnut, simply lazying around as these particular few months always took a terrible toll on their shared spirit. Neither felt like doing anything. They withered like flowers without sunlight whenever they were forced to stay inside like this.

But all the longer Devastating Winter lasted, all the more chaotic of a comeback they would make.

"Fishface, will you finally close that window?! We have a fire going here and I still can't get warm because you're being an idiot!" At long last Snotlout snapped, shouting at one of his closest friends. He was sick and tired of feeling that wind as opposed to the hot flames. He might actually get sick if that door wasn't closed soon.

"But what if we miss a t-mail?" Fishlegs turned to the others. Snotlout's glare remained unchanged and neither Ruff nor Tuff gave much of a reaction.

"Fishlegs, close it." Astrid's tapping stopped. Instead she gave her friend an order.

"But what if-"

"Fishlegs. A Terrible Terror could never fly through those kinds of winds. Hiccup knows better than to send airmail out in this weather." She persisted and Fishlegs, his gaze downcast, found that she was right. He closed the front door.

"Ugh, finally." Snotlout muttered and resumed his poking of the fire.

"Heh, classic Hiccup." Nobody knew why Tuffnut spoke up, but it was better not to question a lethargic, post-cabin fever, Nut.

Fishlegs, suddenly timid, sat his larger form down on a chair near the fire pit on the opposite side of the Jorgenson. He kept his gaze down.

Astrid, ultimately deciding that she wasn't going to get these peace treaties finished this evening anyway, dropped the pencil down on the table and pushed herself up. Her legs felt numb from sitting as she made her way over to the other Riders. She was glad to be up on her feet again.

"Listen, Fishlegs, we're all worried about Hiccup and Toothless. We all are." She was sympathetic towards him. How could she not when he looked so down?

"I know that. And I know Hiccup and Toothless are just fine-" Fishlegs got rudely cut off by Snotlout.

"Exactly. Toothless is a Night Fury and Hiccup is smart when he's not being an idiot. Besides, this is their second Devastating Winter away from Berk. They survived the first one just fine, didn't they?" He was being his usual mean self, though that didn't take away from the fact that this came from a genuine place.

They were all worried about their friends, about their lead Dragon Riders. Even if Hiccup still claimed that they had to continue the Dragon Riders without them.

What bull. As if either one of the Riders, or the Dragons for that matter, would ever feel whole without them.

"The baby, though..." There was no cheering up Fishlegs that evening. Besides missing his best friend, he also missed his own baby, Fishmeat, who rested with his mother, Meatlug, in the enclosed nursery of Berk. They were family through adoption and he missed that Gronckle Juvenile dearly.

As he brought up their friend's future first child, reminded them of the fact that Hiccup was expectant, their collective mood took another dive.

It's true that Hiccup and Toothless did just fine the year before that, but they weren't expecting back then. The Riders worried. For both Hiccup and the unborn babe.

They were given frequent updates because they had requested Hiccup that he send Terror mail often and he had respected that wish, but those updates stopped during these two months.

The silence was unnerving, to say the least.

Who knows what kind of update they'd get in another month or so. Who knows what kind of physical or mental state those two would be in.

Either way, if they did not receive a letter, the Dragon Riders had already unanimously decided to make the three day trip to the Isolated Isles.

No, they were going with or without that letter.

Pulling up a chair to join her friends in their circle around the fire, Astrid sighed and took a seat.

"We wouldn't need to worry if Hiccup and Toothless were never forced to leave." Ruffnut muttered bitterly, the first thing she'd spoken that entire evening. Tuffnut glanced up at her, sitting so slouched he might slip right off his seat and onto the floor.

All the Riders gazed at her. And though nobody spoke up, they all silently agreed.

They wouldn't be in such a sorrowful state of mind if they were there at the old, abandoned, Haddock household with them. This house wouldn't even be empty if they were never told to leave by people still holding onto old grudges. Although the Riders had quietly taken over this house in the last two years since their departure.

In a way, keeping this house in order and filled with life, was almost like their way of keeping some part of the Haddocks still on Berk.

But it wasn't just this permanent dip in their mood, their entire group felt torn apart. Living on Berk, living on any island or land for that matter, without Hiccup and Toothless left them feeling bitter and incomplete. And yet living on the Edge for that one year, away from Berk, but with them, had felt so right.

Loyalty is what kept them here, but it wasn't to their own tribe.

Astrid crossed her arms, glancing at every single one of her saddened Riders, the Dragons were all in the same warm Berkian Nursery, before staring at the fire.

Once Devastating Winter was over, they would go see them and make sure they were okay, but it wouldn't be enough. These visits were never enough to make up for everything.

For how lost they all felt, for all the grief Hiccup had been through, for tearing their family apart, for all the extra emotional baggage, nothing would ever be enough to make up for all of it.


	4. Distressed

_Two chapters in one day! I wish I had this kind of motivation for all my other WiPs as well._

_Anyway, enjoy!_

_Constructive criticism is appreciated!_

* * *

**Distressed**

It was the sound of a dragon in distress that woke Hiccup and Toothless up early in the morning on the day of the birth of their triplets.

Toothless' head shot up in an instant, already fully awake in barely a second. Earfins perked and eyes wide, he took a look around them in alarm.

"Toothless...?" Meanwhile, Hiccup was slightly slower to react, lying curled up underneath his dragon's wing. He attempted to push the limb out of the away so he could sit up and see, but the Night Fury didn't let him until he was certain that the source of the sound they heard didn't just so happen to be in their den.

Once he was sure, he let him sit up.

Hiccup breathed a sigh as he sat up, one hand settling on his bump, and slouched forwards. He was still waking up, scratching in his hair.

Toothless briefly nudged his cheek with his snout, something he often did.

"Tooth-"

They heard it again, the pained cry of what sounded like a lost and lonely creature, and both of their heads snapped in the direction of the door.

Just barely a few moments later, it was there again.

Hiccup moved up on his knees while Toothless stood, both of them were wary.

It came again for a third time in just a short while and the two gazed at each other, Hiccup laying a hand on his Night Fury's neck.

"That sounds like a dragon, Bud." Hiccup stated, but this knowledge only barely allowed them to relax.

There was very possibly a distressed dragon out there and they didn't know what it was doing out there in the blizzard or why.

Though there couldn't be too many reasons in the middle of Devastating Winter, they couldn't just let their guard down either. Especially not with their child on the way.

There was no way of knowing what it was either. The winds distorted its wails.

The crying came again. It was so long and heartbreaking, they were calling for help. It wasn't just Toothless who understood this.

Hiccup heaved a deep sigh, trying to keep a hold on his emotions. That was the sound of a dying dragon, a hopeless creature. Even if he wasn't expecting, that noise would still drive a dagger deep into his heart.

Toothless gave his temple a comforting lick and looked towards the door again as it rang out for a fifth time.

He sat down, his head lowering, his fins flattening. It was getting to him too.

They were Dragon Riders, after all. For the past eight years the two of them, combined with the other Riders and Dragons, saved all kinds of species all over the Barbaric Archipelago. Fighting madmen, tribes and even armies of hundreds of warriors, nothing had ever stopped them from doing what they thought was right.

There was one such helpless creature out there. Was a blizzard enough to stop them?

Well, it was going to stop Hiccup. Toothless was certain of that.

The Night Fury gave his mate an affectionate nuzzle and stood to move away from their bed.

"Toothless?" Hiccup's hand glided over his scaled hide as he left. He wasn't expecting an answer, but still, he was offered a reassuring croon. A "don't worry" that only a human like him would understand.

"Okay, Bud. Come back home soon. And be careful." Very little else needed to be said. They both knew neither of them planned on stopping him. Someone needed to go out there and take a look.

Toothless approached the entrance of their den, shot his partner one last look as he gazed back at him from his seat on the bear furs and then he left.

The wind and freezing cold met his body the second he clawed the door open.

His eyes squeezed shut from the stinging shock he received and his air was momentarily cut off. Even his wings were pushed out of their position of rest by the strong blast of wind that almost knocked him off his feet.

Through the almost deafening noise ringing in his ears, he still heard Hiccup getting up from their bed and briefly growled an order for him to stay put.

The constant awareness of the unborn inside of him was probably the only reason why the human considered listening.

Facing the blizzard again, Toothless braced himself and walked out.

Inside their home, just minutes after Toothless had left, Hiccup winced as he felt a sudden stab of pain in his abdomen.

* * *

Toohless never found that dragon.

Out here in the blizzard, the Night Fury could barely even see a few feet in front of him. A white nothing was all that existed now. No matter which direction he looked, there was only white. Even with his eyesight, which allowed him to see during the night as well as he could see during the day, there was still not a single thing besides him and the blizzard.

The cries of whatever helpless creature that was out there begging for rescue had stopped somewhere along the way and he could no longer use his hearing to help him either as his echolocation proved useless too. The sound of the rushing wind and snow triumphed over the high-pitched whistle he send out. It was difficult for him to make out his surroundings.

And like he couldn't find the dragon he had come all this way for, that he had searched for so long for, he could no longer find his way back home either.

Shivering, Toothless' body felt numb. The bitter cold had done a number on him.

Besides feeling numb, the Night Fury felt like every little bit of the warmth he used to have had been drained out of him. His wings hurt, he could barely move them, or any of his limbs, anymore. He trembled so bad, something he had seen Hiccup do before during these Winter months, but he had not yet experienced too many times in his life himself.

It wasn't often that cold bothered a dragon, able to adapt their temperatures accordingly, but the chill of this season had taken all his inner fire and all his strength.

He was getting sleepy too. A bad thing, he knew. Unlike the creature that he had previously been searching for, however, he did not panic. He knew better than to let his emotions get the better of him.

If he failed to keep them under control, he might never find his way back to Hiccup again.

Still, as his tired legs gave out underneath him, Toothless found himself lying down in the thick, thick layer of snow. It would've been thigh-high for a human like his Rider.

He knew it was wrong and that he needed to be stronger than this, but he wanted to rest his head, to simply lay down and conserve what little energy that remained. Even though he knew exactly where this feeling of exhaustion came from, what it was the start of, fighting it was hard.

That's when he saw it.

Through the heavy snowfall, the blinding blizzard, he saw a small and almost barely noticeable orange glow in the distance.

Toothless blinked twice and struggled to focus on the tiny speck of colour in all this white.

His chest filled with the warmth stolen from him by this harsh weather and only one thought came to him.

Hiccup.

Hiccup made a beacon for him, a way to find home.

Though he was drained of all his strength, of all his energy, Toothless still found it in himself to get up and let the little light in the blizzard lead him back.

It took quite a while, but their cave gradually appeared in front of him. And with it, some contraption that looked like a mix between a lantern and a torch. Though shoddy, it was definitely one of Hiccup's and Toothless's vigour renewed itself.

The Night Fury tiredly pushed the door open and briefly stopped when a peculiar scent hit his nose.

It was that of someone or something in labour. And it was heavily mixed with Hiccup's usual smell.

* * *

The sun. Hiccup wondered what it would be like to see it again after nearly two whole months of darkness and there it was. Just as glorious and light and warm as he remembered.

Every year he wondered and every year he was just as amazed.

Devastating Winter was over, the temperatures were up, the snow was slowly melting away and the new family of five could finally leave their den for the first time since the birth of the triplets.

They were a month old now.

All three of them, both the two girls and the one boy as Hiccup had learned by now, were curled up in the sling made specifically for them. Night Furies, it turned out, were completely helpless after birth. Much like human infants. They required to be carried around by their parents.

Many hatchlings needed to be fed and protected, Night Fury hatchlings needed help with everything.

Hiccup didn't mind when he found out. This was something else he had prepared for, reminding himself how long it took Toothless to grow up. That sling hadn't been made in the past month.

Their boy was the most active so far.

As Hiccup stood by the entrance, allowing Toothless to check out the perimeter of their territory and make sure it was still safe, he soaked up the sun's light and watched as the male pup intently gazed around himself. While his sisters slept, curled up and keeping each other warm, he was more interested in his surroundings. his curiosity was already shining through. Draconic young were infamously curious and rebellious.

Looking up to his maternal parent, he mewed.

"Yeah, I know. There's a whole world outside of our home. Who would've thought, huh?" Those little noises hadn't started too long ago and every single time Hiccup's heart skipped a beat.

Toothless was also affected by them. His earfins perked whenever he heard a little mew. He was always visibly excited.

The Fury pup was impressed and sunk deeper into the sling, where it was safe and not as big as the world out there was.

Hiccup huffed and shook his head in amusement. His gaze moved up and he waited for Toothless to return.

Nadders were fully grown adults at the age of two and neither Gronckles nor Nightmares needed all too long to grow up either, but Toothless, at the age of fifteen, had still been a growing boy back then. So it was safe to say that Night Furies needed almost as much time as humans did to grow up. It could also be another explanation as to why his pregnancy had last as long as it did.

Either way, it might take a while for the triplets to fly and even longer for them to be independent from their parents. That didn't matter to Hiccup or Toothless. It just meant that they needed to look out for their offspring longer than other dragon species needed to.

Toothless returned once he was satisfied, but it was with his head low and his shoulders tense. His body language wasn't one of a dragon who just found a threat, but whatever he did find, it couldn't have been good.

"Toothless?" Hiccup approached, hand outstretched, and the Night Fury met his palm with his nose. He purred, finding comfort in the touch.

"What's wrong, Bud? What did you find?" Toothless might be comforted, but Hiccup was not. Their triplets, all three of them in dreamland by them, were clueless of the tension growing between their parents.

Toothless had found a sad sight, but he knew Hiccup needed to see it too. He trodded behind him and nudged his lower back to get him moving before taking the lead.

Hiccup followed. Though he wasn't so keen on going too far from their home for the time being, having the kids in their sling and close to his chest where they were safe and sound made it easier to leave. At least one arm was wrapped around them at all times as well.

Hiccup's always had a fiercely protective side to him. The way he had protected Torch, the then baby Typhoomerang, from Toothless, his soul- and lifemate, and only a few weeks later defended Heather from Astrid, his first ever human friend, as a boy had already more than proven this. To have that sense be dialled up to eleven was certainly quite an experience to him.

As they walked, every little sound seemed to bother him. He wasn't paranoid by nature, people would instead call him too naive, but every little sound he heard caught his attention. He was more alert than he had ever been before.

He wondered if this was something ever new parent experienced or if it was just him.

He had, after all, discovered just a month ago that hot temperatures apparently didn't harm him anymore.

Toothless crooned to pull him out of his thoughts and Hiccup looked up to see what his dragon wanted to show him.

What he saw, made him come to a full stop and wrap both of his arms around their three sleeping pups.

He came face to face with the carcass of a deceased dragon, a long-dead Hideous Zippleback. One that had passed away on their territory.

Though it looked like it was still fresh, Hiccup knew the extreme temperatures of this past season would have kept it from decomposing or being eaten by local wildlife. They couldn't tell for how long it had already been here, but it could've been days or even weeks. The cold had kept it perfectly preserved.

It looked malnourished, splayed on the ground, here was no cause of death that he could see from one quick scan and he questioned whether it was even necessary to search for one right after Devastating Winter.

But all of that mattered little to him in the end.

What mattered to him, was that this could very well be the same dragon he and Toothless had both heard on the morning of his labour. The very same one the Night Fury failed to find and even nearly died trying to find.

Toothless moaned, pressing his side against Hiccup's as a show of support as he knew this was a despairing sight to see. The human tightened his grip on the sling.

Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing that their three pups stayed with them for a little while longer than the young of other dragons. Sometimes it was easy to forget, but his scene, awful as it was, served as a reminder that they were not on Berk. They were in the wild and it was a dangerous place to be in.

Hiccup and Toothless never had any problem taking care of themselves and each other, but it wasn't just the two of them now. And then Hiccup became very aware of every little danger in this world, of anything that could take Toothless or the triplets away from him.

Just like the dead Zippleback in its last moments of life, the feeling of distress welled up inside of him as well.

* * *

_A/N: Yes, I did it. I mentioned the dreaded episode 'The Terrible Twos'. Because honestly, I don't think Hiccup is that out of character. He acted irrational, that is for sure, but Hiccup standing up for Torch in front of Toothless isn't out of character for him. He does the exact same thing in the episode 'Heather Report, Part 1', when Hiccup defends Heather in front of Astrid._


End file.
